Hort Connections 2021

After a tumultuous 18 months for the Australian horticulture industry, a COVIDSafe and COVID-Resilient Hort Connections 2021 was held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-9 June 2021.

Despite the ongoing disruption from COVID-19 and the snap lockdown preventing Victorians from travelling to the event, over 2,200 delegates from all sectors of the horticulture industry descended on the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-9 June to ‘Celebrate the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables’. There were hundreds more who tuned in and streamed the speaker sessions. Hort Connections encompasses the vegetable, fruit, nut, cut floral and nursery sectors. This year, more than 60 event sponsors and industry organisations partnered to provide added value to delegates and allow them to access the expertise and services of a range of industry members in-person and online. The three-day event was the premier opportunity for supply chain members, growers and industry stakeholders in the fresh produce and floral industry to see the latest in technology and innovation, hear from industry experts, meet leading local and global agribusinesses and network at the most highly anticipated social events on the industry’s calendar.

Trade Show

While it would have been even better if Victorians could attend, it was still great to see the trade show being a major highlight of the conference. The tradeshow presented an unparalleled opportunity for delegates to network with the leading supply chain partners in Australian horticulture. It featured around 190 industry partners from across every sector of the industry and provided delegates with the chance to look at the latest trends, technologies and services available to them to give their businesses an edge in both productivity and profitability. The trade show was sponsored by Australia’s Fresh Produce Markets. Over the three-day event, many growers and industry members were able to forge new partnerships with a range of leading agribusinesses and reconnected with friends, colleagues and supply chain partners to celebrate the achievements of the horticulture industry through what was the most difficult year for many businesses and communities.

Networking Opportunities

Throughout the conference, networking events were held to connect growers with agribusinesses, researchers and representatives from all areas of the supply chain, transport and retail sectors, including the Hort Connections Gala Dinner, multiple off-site and on-site events held by Hort Connections sponsors and a variety of other events that coincided with the conference.

Gala Dinner

The capstone event of Hort Connections 2021 was the Gala Dinner, where industry members from across the supply chain gathered to celebrate the achievements of the best and brightest in the Australian horticulture industry. Queensland vegetable growers Andrew and David Moon were announced as Grower of the Year, while Fresh Markets Australia won the 2021 PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award for its ‘A Better Choice’ – Shop & Win campaign.